Mormon Missionaries Participate In MainX24 Parade

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Thirteen Mormon missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the MainX24 Street Parade in downtown Chattanooga last Saturday. The parade has been a Chattanooga attraction for the past 11 years – bringing together businesses, organizations and individuals to celebrate a sense of community and revitalization, officials said.

The LDS missionaries are part of the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, which includes the greater Chattanooga area. These young men and women (ages 18-20) are serving two-year missions, and 18-month missions, respectively – without pay.

"Like all LDS missionaries who are called to serve, they have left their homes, friends and family to devote full-time service to the Lord Jesus Christ – to proclaim the good news and glad tidings of His gospel – in accordance with His commission 'to preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15).

"While serving missions, these young missionaries do not date, go to movies, listen to the radio or watch TV. They communicate with their families once a week by mail and email, and twice a year by phone – at Christmas, and usually on Mother’s Day. Typically, prior to service, these young people (with the support of their families) prepare and save in advance for missions. LDS missionaries do not choose where they serve, but gladly go where they are called," officials said.

While on their missions, they proselyte, baptize, and engage in humanitarian and community service. Sometimes, they even participate in local parades. For the MainX24 parade, the Mormon missionaries decorated a mission car with Christmas decorations – and painted the windows with a message encouraging attendees to Light the World. The Mormon missionaries drove their “float” along the parade route, with some of the missionaries walking along, hoisting a banner also calling for one and all to Light the World today. The missionaries handed out more than 900 Light the World glow-in-the-dark wristbands, and more than 800 Light the World pass-along cards.

#LightTheWorld is an initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which encourages everyone to light the world in 25 ways over 25 days as we “celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by serving others this Christmas season.”

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